Girl Talk
by CarVie16
Summary: (Story starts with the "Girl Talk" scene in Descendants 2) Carlos started this girl talk in order to help Mal gain the courage to go to the Royal Cotillion and give Ben another chance at love. But the result from this talk was not what he had in mind. Mal's unexpected response made this talk unforgettable for both herself and Carlos... for good reasons, or bad ones?
1. The Girl Talk

**As much as I question myself why I ship Evie and Carlos, I also question myself on why I ship Mal and Carlos. They had that one moment in the "Ways To Be Wicked" music video that me and some people went crazy over at the time of its release... and I wrote "Ways To Be Wicked" in my Forever Wicked series. Geez. I may be a shipper, but I always question myself whenever I ship a couple that is SUPER unlikely. But now that I got that off my chest... here's a new Marlos story. Enjoy.**

**I've done a similar scene like this in two previous Marlos stories - one here in FanFiction, one over at Wattpad - but this time, this scene is center of the story. That "girl talk" scene in Descendants 2... just beautiful. One of the best moments in the the movies.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

The pressures of being the King's girlfriend. The reporters, the camera flashes, and the endless questions. Leaving Ben to live "free" on the Isle of the Lost. Her (ex) boyfriend kidnapped by her arch-rival Uma. Saving said ex-boyfriend and returning him to Auradon. The past few days have been, to put it lightly, eventful for Mal. Worse, she now has to make a choice. Go to the Royal Cotillion and give Ben a second chance, or go back to the Isle and face an angry Uma? It's not an easy choice for her, however.

She couldn't even talk to Ben, who had to leave with Jane to work on the secret "surprise" for Mal for Cotillion.

Seeing how dispirited the purple-haired sorceress is from everything that has happened recently, Evie decides to have another talk with her best friend about Cotillion. She starts leading Mal back to their dorm so they can have this talk in private.

"We need to talk," Evie said quietly.

"No," Carlos spoke up.

Mal and Evie stop and look at the white-haired dog lover, surprised by the fierce tone in his voice.

"Excuse me?" Evie reacted.

"You two are always wandering off on your own, whispering to each other, caught up in your little... girl talk," Carlos said, having had enough of the two girls keeping him out of the loop. "Well, Jay and I are tired of it."

"I'm not," Jay said bluntly.

Carlos glares at Jay. Jay shrugs in an unapologetic manner. Carlos feels alone on this, but he continues to persist.

"We're your family, too, Mal," Carlos said wholeheartedly. "We've been through a lot, together. We're not stopping that now."

Mal and Evie were surprised to see this side of Carlos. Six months ago, he was like the obedient little puppy of the gang. He was always so shy, so timid, and never stands up for himself. Whenever Mal calls for him, he runs towards her like a dog, obeying her every command. But now, he speaks up for once and talks with so much heart and maturity. It's this surprising personal development for Carlos that convinces Mal and Evie to stay here and think about keeping their girl talk to themselves.

Mal may even be more surprised than Evie was. There she is, just staring at the 15-year-old tech prodigy and absorbing his words into her mind. "We're your family, too," he said. The way he said it, it was not only honest but also full of heart. As he looks at her with that strong but pleading look in his eyes, she can't help but nod in agreement. The four VKs, they are like family to each other.

Carlos, still holding Dude in his arms, sits down on the grass and gestures everyone to do the same.

"C'mon, sit," he asked nicely.

Mal, Evie, and Jay sit down on the grass as Carlos insisted so they can start their "girl talk." They were quiet to start, though, as they were expecting Carlos to be the one to start. With all eyes directed at him, Carlos struggles to find the right words to begin this conversation. He doesn't know what to say.

"I don't know how to start girl talk," Carlos admitted.

"Well, this was dumb," Jay said, eager to get out of this conversation.

Jay stands up to leave, only for Carlos to pull him back down. Carlos gives Jay a scolding glare before turning his attention back to the person who needs this girl talk the most. Mal.

Mal looks away from Carlos and stares into space. This time, all eyes are on her. Ever since she returned from rescuing Ben, she has been mostly silent and holding something back. Unable to repress her feelings anymore, her eyes begin to water as she whimpers to express her internal pain and struggle. She doesn't even try to fight back her emotions. It hurt to hold it back. Evie places an assuring hand on her shoulder, but that could only help so much.

"I... I don't... I'm a mess. I'm such a mess," Mal cried. "I mean, six months ago, I was stealing candy from babies and scaring little children. Now, everyone wants me to be this Lady of the Court and I have no idea how to keep up the act."

"Then don't," said Carlos.

Mal looks back at her white-haired friend. She's crying, showing her vulnerability, right in front of him, in front of her friends. Despite that, Carlos says something simple and straightforward. _Don't keep up the act_, he said.

"I don't know if I can," Mal said sadly.

"You don't have to, if it hurts you," said Carlos. "Just be you. There's nothing wrong with you, Mal. It doesn't matter whether you're on the Isle or here in Auradon. Just be yourself. It's the only way for people to accept you."

"You believe that?" Mal asked. A slight uplifting tone seeped through her sad voice.

"Why wouldn't I?" Carlos replied with a little smile. "We didn't listen to you before, but we're listening to you now. And now that I'm listening, all I can tell you is this. Don't pretend to be someone you're not."

"He's right," Evie agreed. "The four of us, we're always gonna be the kids from the Isle. I tried to forget it, to not linger on the past, but I can't. Once I went back to the Isle, it all just came back to me. I was reminded of who I am, of who we are. Those were our roots. We did whatever we could to survive, to make the best of the worst situations. It made us who we are."

"We can't fake it," Carlos added.

"Yeah," Evie agreed.

"Can I? How can I? How can I not... I don't know," Mal said, struggling to respond to all this. "I thought I wanted to be who Ben and this kingdom wanted to be. To be someone who can be accepted. To live up to the expectations of... here... and feel better about myself for it. But I can't."

"Mal, if Ben doesn't love you for who you really are, then he's not the one," said Carlos.

"I like that," Evie responded.

"Give him a chance," Carlos said to his purple-haired friend.

Mal looks at Carlos again. A few minutes ago, she was holding in so many negative emotions that it was hurting her. A few seconds ago, she is crying her heart out and expressing how she truly feels about the future that Ben is presenting to her. Now, she feels... calm. Her heart still aches and her mind still hurts from her emotional episode, but Carlos has helped make her feel a little better. Instead of a stern lecture or a loud scolding, he just sits there calmly and talks to her in the most gentle of voices. He doesn't judge her. He doesn't complain about her personal issues. He listened to her and he gave her a simple answer. Maybe a simple answer is all she needed. Probably.

The ache in Mal's chest slowly disappears and it is being replaced with a soft feeling. She continues to shed tears, her frown stays on her face, but she can feel her heart beating with a calming and pleasant rhythm. She may not be all better, but the pain in her chest is being erased quicker than she would expect, if it was possible. But Carlos has made it possible.

Evie says to her best friend, "I'm gonna make changes to your dress. If you're up for it, _only_ if you're up for it, it will be waiting for you."

"And hey, if it doesn't work out, if Ben's not smart enough to love you, then we'll drive you back to the Isle tomorrow," Jay offered, finally attempting to provide comforting words. "Um, how's that?"

"Nice," Carlos commented.

"Very," Evie agreed.

Evie, Jay, and Carlos decide to give Mal some space and time to think about Cotillion. They've said all that needed to be said, all that they could think should have been said. All that is left is for Mal to make a final decision. Give Ben a second chance, or go back to where she was born? Is she willing to try the former, or is choosing the latter what she really wants?

"Carlos," Mal called suddenly.

Evie, Jay, and Carlos stop walking and look back at Mal.

"Can you... can you stay here with me for a minute?" Mal asked.

"Uh, sure," Carlos answered.

"Ooh, more girl talk," Dude said.

"Just Carlos," Mal clarified.

"Ouch," Dude reacted.

Carlos gives Dude to Evie. Evie and Jay continue to walk away, while Carlos sits back down on the grass next to Mal.

It was quiet for the next few seconds. Mal's just twiddling her thumbs together and hanging her head. The right side of her lip is twitching and she sounds like she's trying to breathe calmly. No more tears are streaming down her face, which is a good sign. She glances at him from time to time, looking away immediately after each time. Carlos tries reading her face, but he couldn't tell what's on her mind. _Is it something I said_, he wondered.

"What is it?" Carlos asked finally, curious.

"If Ben doesn't love me for me, then he's not the one. I like that, too," said Mal.

"Well, it's kinda the truth," said Carlos. "He can't claim to love you if he doesn't love you for the real you."

"What about you?" asked Mal.

"What do you mean?" Carlos responded.

"Do you love me, for who I am?" Mal asked.

"Mal, I..." Carlos paused. "What are you really asking?"

"Do you?" Mal repeated.

Carlos was confused. Despite the leftover shine in her eyes left behind by her tears and the half-frown on her lips, he can't read her. The question she just asked him. What does it mean? At first, Carlos assumed that she was simply asking if he accepted her for who she really is, as the malevolent but good-hearted Mal who helped him embrace the idea of becoming good. But something in her voice and the look in her eyes made him feel that the question meant something else. That other meaning is what's scaring Carlos. He feels as if he knows what that second meaning is, but at the same time, he doesn't. Even without speaking, Mal is looking growing more and more desperate for his answer. It's amazing how much one simple look can tell you, but concerning at the same time.

"Mal, of course, I accept you for who you are," Carlos said honestly, but also with uncertainty. "But I don't understand what you're really asking of me. I mean, I... you... it sounds like you're..."

Mal interrupts Carlos by pulling him closer to her with one hand on his cheek and planting her lips right on his. Carlos' eyes widened with shock and confusion. He wanted to pull away, but he couldn't. Either he's frozen in shock or Mal's lips have a tight hold of his own lips. Maybe it's both. Mal's lips part from Carlos' a few seconds later. While Carlos' eyes are still wide open from the shock, Mal is biting her lower lip and looking down with what could be regret or unease on her face.

Mal's hand descends from Carlos' face and wraps around his own hand. She leans a little closer, much to Carlos' discomfort. Not that he could express it. He's still frozen.

"I'll go to Cotillion," Mal decided. "Not for Ben. Not for me. But for you."

"Uh..." Carlos still couldn't say anything.

"Just do me one favor," said Mal. "Go and ask Jane out."

"Uh, o-o-okay?" Carlos replied nervously, still overwhelmed.

Mal's lips curve into a genuine smile. It was a small smile, but it was real. She gets up and walks the opposite direction where Evie and Jay went. Carlos just sits there, trying to absorb what just happened.

_Mal kissed me? _He wondered. _But why?_

**Girl Talk. What a title, am I right? To be honest, I don't know where I'm taking this story. I wanted this to be a one-shot, but considering that I'm also writing a multi-chapter Carvie story, I wanted to expand this Marlos story into more chapters. I'm thinking about taking this plot all the way to Descendants 3, but this chapter is mainly to get things started.**

**Leave a review and let me know what you think of this so far. I would appreciate it.**


	2. True Love and Something Else

**I couldn't plan for/update this story quicker because I was busy with my recent Carvie story, but now that story is finished. So, I can now focus on my newest Marlos story. Although, I still feel like I've backed myself in a corner by turning this into a multi-chapter story instead of keeping it as a one-shot. Anyways, enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the first chapter: Arbiter8991, Chinman, DragonEmperor999, Filipinagirl04, PinkTribeChick, Ss, Dorothyshoes30, Robyn, Galvatron II**

**_To Ss_: Thanks. The lack of Carvie and Marlos fics does help me in a way when it comes to writing what type of couples they can be, but at the same time it causes more pressure. Oh, and thanks also for commenting on my Carvie story.**

Mal did it. She agreed to go to Cotillion. Uma crashed the event and love-spelled Ben. Mal confessed her love to Ben and used True Love's Kiss to free him from Uma's spell. Uma transformed into a giant octopus and Mal transformed into a dragon. The two battled right in front of everyone at the Cotillion, only to be stopped by Ben. Despite Ben's pleas for a truce and a chance at a peaceful future, Uma turned her back on everyone and left. Mal transformed back into a human - complete with a purple and black dress more suited for her - and everyone sang and dance the night away (in spite of the ship's deck being a bit flooded because of Uma's attack).

Carlos is happily dancing with his Cotillion date Jane, who he's been trying to ask out to Cotillion for the past three days. As it turns out, she likes him back and said yes immediately when he finally built up the courage to ask her out. And now, they can just splash around and enjoy themselves.

"Ahem," someone intervened.

Carlos and Jane stop and turn to see the new Lady of the Court herself. Mal. She stands there next to them, smiling that big smile. Hey, it's a happy ending for (almost) everyone tonight. Nothing suspicious about a smile, right?

"Hey, Jane, do you mind if I borrow Carlos for a few minutes?" asked Mal.

"No, not at all," said Jane. "Just let me know when you're done, okay?"

"Okay," Carlos promised.

Jane gives Carlos a quick cheek-to-cheek hug before running off to join Evie, Jay, Lonnie, and Doug. Carlos kindly offers his hand and Mal takes it as the two dance slowly, while splashing water at each other, of course.

"Congratulations, Lady Mal," Carlos started.

"Oh, stop," Mal replied, but with a smile.

"I guess Ben is the one," said Carlos. "That present. It shows the real you. It shows what he wants everyone to see you as."

"Makes me wonder why I didn't just talk to him in the first place," said Mal. "But yeah, I guess he is the one."

"True Love's Kiss. There's no denying it," said Carlos.

"But I sense doubt in your voice," said Mal.

"Isn't that why you came to dance with me?" Carlos asked suspiciously.

"Don't slow down. We don't want anyone to be suspicious," said Mal.

Carlos twirls Mal quickly and the purple-haired sorceress tries to make sure the slow dance isn't too slow. She puts her other hand on Carlos' shoulder as she spins both of them, almost slipping on the water.

"Mal, I am happy for you," Carlos said honestly but with a perturbed expression. "But what happened earlier... you know."

"It's why I'm here," said Mal.

"Mal, what is... what am I to you?" Carlos asked curiously. "You love Ben. There's no doubt about that. But what about this afternoon?"

"What's the real question?" Mal asked, seemingly testing his questioning.

"Who am I to you?" asked Carlos.

Mal didn't say anything and continued to just dance, much to Carlos' dismay.

"You kiss me, tell me I'm the reason you want to go to Cotillion, and then tell me to go after Jane," Carlos reminded, confused. "I don't understand, Mal. Who am I to you, really? What was that?"

"Carlos, I can't give you an answer to that," said Mal.

"Why not?" asked Carlos. "I just don't understand why you did... that. I feel like I'm being used here, and not in a good way."

"Carlos, I would never take advantage of you," said Mal. "Anymore, at least."

"So, do you expect us to just go back to normal after _that_?" Carlos questioned. "No more talking about it? No more bringing it up? Nothing?"

"You have Jane. I have Ben. I think that speaks for itself," Mal said vaguely.

"Believe me, I just want to forget that ever happened... but I can't," said Carlos.

"Why? Does it make you feel something different about me?" Mal wondered.

"I... I don't... I... I like Jane," Carlos stammered.

"Then you don't have anything to worry about. Not me or you," said Mal. "But I do wanna say... thank you. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"I just didn't want you to give up on love, that's all," Carlos said simply.

"You sell yourself short, you know. It's the little things said that mean a lot, sometimes," said Mal. "I know you think you can't forget about it. Truth is, I can't either, but that's because I don't want to."

"It's just girl talk, right?" Carlos said.

"No, it's more than just girl talk," said Mal. "Whatever happens now and tomorrow, it's because of you. Evie couldn't convince me to come back here, but you did, somehow. I don't even have to think hard about it. I just accept it."

"Mal, I..." Carlos paused.

"Mal," someone called.

This time, it was Evie's turn to intervene. Evie looks at both her friends with a subtly concerned look on her face. Carlos didn't think too much about it, but Mal eyed her blue-haired best friend with suspicion.

"Uh, Belle and Beast want to talk to you, Mal," said Evie.

"Okay," Mal responded.

Mal gives Carlos a kiss on the cheek before walking away. As Evie helps Mal to the upper deck, she looks back at Carlos. She can see the disconcerted and piqued look on the puppy lover's face. Even when Jane rushed over to dance with him again, the smile on his face looked fake.

* * *

Later that evening (which is actually morning, since the clocks say 1:14 AM), Evie is alone in her dorm, yawning and trying to stay awake. She was waiting for her roommate, who was spending some time with her boyfriend before bedtime. Fortunately for the tired Evie, Mal walks right through the door with a happy look on her face, complete with a pure smile. Mal sits down on her bed and looks out the window, obviously thinking about her future with Ben. Evie, however, knew she had to interrupt her happy moment.

"Mal," she started.

"I know you saw what I did," Mal interrupted.

"Oh," Evie reacted.

"And I know what you're goin' to say. Everything I'm doing seems wrong," said Mal.

"Can you blame me for thinking that?" Evie replied. "I saw you kiss Carlos. Then you come to Cotillion. Carlos is holding hands with Jane, while you give Ben True Love's Kiss to save him from Uma."

"Can you skip the recap and jump straight to the judgmental lecture?" Mal deadpanned.

"You love Ben. Your first kiss with him proves that. But there's something you're not telling everyone," said Evie.

"Care to elaborate?" Mal said with slight sarcasm.

"Do you love Carlos?" Evie asked finally.

Mal responds by removing her crown, placing it on her bedside table, and silently brushing her hair. Evie's confused expression is mixed with an offended expression as she shook her head, appalled by Mal's silence.

"Was it something he said during our little girl talk?" Evie asked, trying out any guess at this point.

"I chose to go to Cotillion because of him. I did it for him, not for me. That's all," Mal confessed bluntly.

"Mal, this is serious. You don't just kiss someone like you kissed Carlos without some deeper meaning to it," said Evie. "You and Ben are back together and you're getting closer to the next important phase in your relationship. How can you sleep at night after all of this?"

"Goodnight, Evie," Mal responded calmly but dismissively.

"Unbelievable," Evie muttered, perplexed.

Mal begins to tuck herself in. She's actually going to sleep in her Cotillion dress, but she clearly doesn't mind. Evie, however, could barely think about sleep after trying to make sense of everything she has seen this day.

"Just do me a favor, E. Don't tell anyone," Mal pleaded.

"Did you ask that of Carlos, too?" Evie asked.

"I didn't need to. I know he won't breathe a word of it," said Mal.

"How do you know?" asked Evie.

Mal doesn't say another word as she goes straight to sleep, much to Evie's annoyance. Evie tries to go to sleep herself, but she can't stop thinking about the kiss between Mal and Carlos and how it's linked to the current state of Mal's relationship with Ben. She wanted to be 100% happy for her purple-haired friend, but she can't because of what happened right after the "girl talk" that she fears has done more to Mal than what was needed.

Mal, however, couldn't sleep right away, either. She, too, was thinking about her real first kiss. As far as everyone knows, her first kiss is with Ben. But the truth is, her first kiss is with Carlos. All he wanted to do with that girl talk from this afternoon is to convince Mal to give Ben one more chance, and she rewarded him for his boldness and wisdom with a kiss. A kiss on the lips, which still stuns him probably in his sleep. She can imagine him struggling to sleep like her over what happened between them.

**That's it for the Descendants 2 part of this story. The following chapters will take place during Descendants 3. But please understand that I need plenty of time to update. Remember, this story was originally meant to be just a one-shot. "Girl Talk" meaning just a rewritten version of the girl talk scene from D2. After completing my recent Carvie story, I just wanted to try something more with this Marlos story than just a one-chapter thing. I'll try to plan as fast as I can, but not too fast. I'm daring myself to be bold.**

**So, what do you think of this chapter? Leave a review and let me know your thoughts. I would appreciate it.**


	3. One Year Later

**Time to head on to Descendants 3. I am super nervous, but I really want to do this. I have yet to write a Descendants fic that involves Descendants 3, so this'll be my first. A Marlos story is an odd choice for me for my first D3-focused story, but... enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: PinkTribeChick, Dorothyshoes30, Robyn, Mara, Ss, DragonEmperor999, Chinman**

**_To PinkTribeChick_: Thanks for the advice.**

**_To Mara_: Honestly, I was kinda bothered that Evie is the only one who knew that Hades is Mal's dad. Don't worry, though. I was always planning on addressing that part in my story. After all, the reason the "girl talk" happened is because Carlos was sick of Mal and Evie keeping their girl stuff to themselves.**

It was time yet again to invite more VKs from the Isle of the Lost to Auradon. The students and staff of Auradon Prep are gathered outside to not just to celebrate the arrival of the new VKs but also to celebrate their favorite couple - King Ben and Lady Mal. The only ones not celebrating are Audrey, her grandmother Queen Leah, and her ex-boyfriend Chad. Audrey is still bitter about Ben's relationship with Mal, Leah is still skeptical and fearful of Ben's VK program, and Chad is just there to support his ex-girlfriend.

The others, though, they're looking very happy today. Mal is standing up there on the royal stage with her boyfriend Ben. Carlos and Jane are holding each other, right in front of Fairy God Mother, who approves of their relationship. Jay, Doug, Fairy God Mother, Belle and Beast are smiling smiles as big as everyone else's.

Evie, however, was struggling to keep smiling, even if she was standing next to her boyfriend Doug. The blue-haired beauty queen keeps looking back and forth between Mal and Carlos. She's the only person to notice that the purple-haired sorceress and the white-haired dog lover momentarily glance at one another from time to time. Mal has this half-smile every time she looks at Carlos. Carlos, on the other hand, drops his smile whenever his eyes meet Mal's. Evie is the only one who knows about last year (yes, it has been one year since the Royal Cotillion), and she doesn't know what to do. Mal is still with Ben. Carlos is still with Jane. But they're both still hung up on each other, clearly (to those, like Evie, who are really looking).

The students (and the rest of Auradon, as the event was being televised) were gasping for air when Ben got down on one knee while singing his famous song "Did I Mention" to Mal. Ben pulls out a little box, opens it - revealing a beautiful ring - and asks...

"Will you marry me? Will you be my queen?"

"NO!" Audrey cried out in dismay.

"Yes," Mal answered her boyfriend.

Ben puts the ring on Mal's finger and the two kiss. Everyone (minus Audrey, Chad, and Queen Leah) start to cheer and celebrate. This was completely unexpected, but it was absolutely wonderful. Audrey almost faints from disbelief, but her ex and her grandma keep her on her feet.

Jane is hugging Carlos so hard, excited by Mal and Ben's engagement. Jane moves away from Carlos for a moment to celebrate with her mother. Evie stands next to the white-haired tech prodigy as they both look at the happily engaged couple on the platform.

"Look at her. She made it through so much to get to here," Evie said, proud of her purple-haired best friend.

"Good thing Audrey didn't ruin the moment," Carlos said, referring to the loud "no" from the king's ex.

"Mal and Ben distracted each other with the love in their eyes. It helps," Evie assumed. "I'm proud of her."

"Me, too," said Carlos.

"Are you?" Evie questioned.

"What?" Carlos replied, confused.

"Are you proud of her? Are you happy for her?" asked Evie.

"W-Why wouldn't I be?" Carlos responded.

Evie shakes her head and says, "You haven't moved on at all."

"Evie, what are you talking about?" asked Carlos.

"I know about the kiss," Evie confessed. "I know how Mal feels about you. Question is, judging by the way you were looking at her and your lack of cheering, do you feel the same for her?"

"I'm with Jane," said Carlos.

"And she's with Ben," said Evie.

"Evie, she kissed me," Carlos explained. "I was just as surprised as you. I don't even know exactly what she feels for me. Even if she does feel something, she's already made her choice. She said yes."

"I know. I'm sorry to darken the mood with this, but... you do realize this could a problem," said Evie.

Jay interrupts the conversation by hugging his two best friends. He was too caught up in the happy moment to notice that Evie and Carlos were having a serious conversation. The two put on fake smiles for Jay's sake, but they were clearly not finished. Evie is suspicious, while Carlos is scared.

"What do you know? Mal's gonna be queen," Jay mentioned. "I guess she'll be bossing us around even more, but hey, happy day, right?"

"Yeah," Evie and Carlos said with fake happiness.

Evie walks away from Carlos to congratulate Mal. Carlos is left with the cheering Jay. He was truly happy for Mal, but there was something in him that was keeping him from celebrating with full energy. Nevertheless, he joins Jay to congratulate Mal, even if it means joking around to hide his uncertain feelings (such as calling her "Your Royal Purpleness," as well "Your Crankiness" when she playfully called him and Jay _annoying peasants_)

**Okay, so I admit that this chapter was short. Admittedly, I didn't have much planned for the "Ben proposes to Mal" scene other than Evie confronting Carlos about the kiss from the first chapter. Rest assured, I will try to add more content and substance in the following chapters. To be honest, the future chapters are where the real drama/fun stuff happen, but I just wanted to get the proposal scene out of the way.**

**Yup, I've backed myself into another corner here. Ben proposed to Mal and she said yes. You might be asking/wondering, "What does that mean for Marlos in this story?" My answer to that is, please be patient. It's not gonna be a long story so I have the time and dedication to see it through to the end. Long chapters may still be a possibility, though (with me, I can get carried away with chapter lengths).**


	4. Moving On, or Can You?

**I have to admit, guys, I'm tired. I mean, I already was after completing my Forever Wicked series, but a lot of stuff in my personal life have made it hard for me to think and update. I understand school taking up a lot of my time, but all the noise at my house does not help me relax (and a relaxed mind helps me write). I've contemplated taking an much-needed indefinite break from writing... but I want to finish this Marlos story first. Enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: Robyn, Chinman, Dorothyshoes30, Mara**

**_To Mara_: Well, it's either more chapters or longer chapters. We'll see.**

Carlos is scrambling around Evie's starter castle trying to make sure everything is ready for his girlfriend Jane's birthday party. It's her Sweet 16 and he wants to make sure she has the best day ever (at least until a future day tops it). One of the things he wants to make sure is in perfect condition until the party is a little gift box, which has his gift for Jane inside. _For Jane_, he repeated over and over in his head. The face of a man in a hurry disappears and is replaced with a face of a man uncertain of what he is doing.

"Carlos," someone called.

Startled (due to being snapped out of his thoughts), Carlos ends up juggling the gift box until he manages to place it safely on a table. He turns around and sees Mal, who had just arrived after her meeting with Ben, Belle, Beast, and Fairy God Mother at the castle. No doubt she is here to both share the details of the meeting, as well as help out with Jane's birthday party, which is taking place in the Enchanted Lake.

But the silent stares between the purple-haired future queen and the white-haired dog lover made it clear to both of them that they were thinking about other things.

"Is that Jane's gift?" Mal started casually.

"Uh, yeah," Carlos answered calmly. "But you're not here to talk about Jane's birthday, are you?"

"No, I'm not," Mal answered truthfully. "I came to talk about you."

"What about with Ben and his parents? They're freaking out about Hades almost escaping yesterday," Carlos wondered.

"Don't try to dodge this, Carlos," said Mal.

"What do you mean?" asked Carlos.

Mal grabs a seat and sits down next to Carlos. Carlos moves an inch further from Mal, feeling a bit uncomfortable of how close she is to him. She studies his face closely. His eyes shift from left to right fast. His forehead is sweating. His breathing is a little abnormal. When she reaches for his hand, he retracts it. Carlos tries to read Mal's face himself, but making eye contact with her up close is making him feel worse.

"You haven't moved on," Mal realized.

"How would you know?" asked Carlos.

"At the proposal. Just now. You have that weird look on your face every time we look at each other," said Mal. "And you keep distancing yourself when I get too close."

Carlos hangs his head and, in a dour tone, says, "I warned you before."

"About not being able to forget it?" Mal asked. "Because I haven't either."

"But you've clearly moved on," said Carlos. "Mal, I wanna do my best for Jane. I really do. I really like her, but..."

Mal quickly reaches for Carlos' hand, giving him no time to react. Carlos flinched and even attempted to pull his hand back, but Mal gently tightens her fingers around his gloved hand, silently telling him that he shouldn't be worried. Mal moves her chair and herself closer.

"What makes you think I've moved on?" Mal said softly.

"Huh?" Carlos uttered, confused and surprised.

Mal holds his hand with both of her own and says, "I love Ben. Everyone knows that. But they don't know my heart like I do."

"You said yes," Carlos reminded.

"I did." Mal didn't deny, looking at her engagement ring. "And I do want to marry Ben. I wanna rule by his side, to keep Auradon safe and happy..."

"But?" Carlos interrupted.

"But I can't deny I don't feel something else," Mal said honestly.

"For me?" Carlos asked curiously.

Mal smiles a little and says, "The real question, why can't you move on?"

"I... I don't know... I think I..." Carlos paused, unsure of what words to use. "This is bringing up some... wrong feelings... at the wrong time."

"I think I know what you mean," said Mal.

"What do you think this means?" asked Carlos.

"It means exactly what we're both thinking," Mal said vaguely.

"I'm sorry," Carlos apologized. "I didn't mean to bother you with all this."

"You don't need to be sorry," said Mal. "I'm the one who brought this up. You're not alone, Carlos."

"I can kinda understand why you did what you did last year, but I still don't fully understand it," said Carlos.

"If you did, what would do with that understanding?" Mal asked.

Carlos stands up as he pulls his hand from Mal's. He puts his hands on both sides of his head, rubbing his temples as he tries to calm down from the overwhelming feelings in his heart and in his mind. Mal clenches her fist as her tear sac threatens to burst and flood her face with tears.

"I'm sorry, Carlos," Mal apologized.

"You have no idea how much this affected me, how it's still affecting me," Carlos said as his voice cracked.

Mal holds Carlos' hands again as she turns him to face her.

"I wasn't expecting much, honestly," said Mal. "But now I realize I was an idiot for thinking like that. I was foolish, reckless, impulsive, weak, and - worst of all - inconsiderate."

"I wanna ask again why, but I know you won't give me a straight answer," said Carlos.

"Because I can't just pour my heart out like that," said Mal. "With Ben, it's easy. But with you, I don't know, especially after now that I realize how much I hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me," said Carlos. "You just confused me."

Forehead to forehead, nose to nose. This is how Mal responded to Carlos' feelings. Mal closes her eyes as she breathes steadily. Carlos' heart races as her warm breath washes over the lower half of his face. He would make a joke about how Mal was about to breathe fire on him right now, considering how unusually warm her breath is, but he is too distracted by the heating up of his face and chest to say anything.

Unbeknownst to them, Evie is peering from behind the doorway, watching them. As if she needed to be more concerned about the state of Mal's heart, as well as Carlos', now she's seeing them have another intimate moment. She's tempted to walk in and stop it, but she stopped herself when she saw tears streaming down both Mal and Carlos' faces.

Evie had to hide when Mal opened her eyes and pulled away.

"I have to talk to Evie," said Mal.

"O-Okay," Carlos said awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," Mal apologized again.

Mal kisses Carlos on the cheek before walking off to find her blue-haired best friend. Carlos just stands there, staring at Mal. His eyes move towards the gift that was meant for Jane.

_What am I doing_, Carlos wondered.

_What am I doing_, Mal wondered.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Fairy Cottage, Audrey is spying on the VKs through Maleficent's scepter, which she stole from the Museum of Cultural History, along with the queen's crown. This has given her a wicked makeover and an even more wicked personality. As she plots her next move, she wants to see how Mal - the person who ruined her life - was doing. And needless to say, she was enticed by what she just saw happen at Evie's starter castle.

"Interesting," said Audrey. "So much for saying yes to Ben."

Audrey decides it's time to show herself to Mal and her friends, to show them that there's a new Queen of Mean in Auradon.

**I'm sorry that this chapter was also short, but I'm saving the good stuff for a later chapter. I'm tired and nervous, which is a bad combination. But I still want to write these stories. I don't want to leave you guys hanging.**

**So, what do you think of this chapter? Leave a review and let me know.**


	5. A Clearer Picture

**I'm back (it hasn't been that long, but I wanted to say it). Time for the latest chapter in my new Marlos story. This chapter takes place during the part where the VKs, plus Celia, go to the Isle of the Lost to get Hades' ember. Enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: iquinn18, Robyn, Ss, Mara**

**_To iquinn18_: Hey, thanks for the comforting words.**

Ben is in his office in the castle, desperately trying to get any leads on Audrey. It's been leaked on the news that Audrey is the one who stole Maleficent's scepter and she has cast a sleeping spell on the people of Auradon. Ben had just sent his guards to find anyone who isn't asleep and protect them, as well as find Audrey. When he was finally alone, _she_ showed up. Magically. Right behind him.

Ben turned around quickly, startled by her unannounced arrival. And her new look.

"Hi, Benny-Boo," Audrey greeted. "I have a proposition for you. I'll wake everyone up on one condition." She caresses Ben's cheek and dreamily says, "Marry me. Make me your queen. We'll rule Auradon side by side, like we were always meant to be."

Instead of responding to her proposition, Ben slowly pulls Audrey's hand off his face and looks at her with a stunned but concerned look.

"Audrey, what happened?" Ben asked, worried about his ex-girlfriend. "Did someone cast a curse on you? Who did it? Just tell me and I'll help you."

"You're helping me by saying yes," said Audrey. "I changed my look for you. What do you think, Benny-Boo? Better?"

"I like the old Audrey better. She wouldn't want to hurt anyone," said Ben.

"Especially those who deserve it?" Audrey questioned. "For instance, your lying, cheating fiance?"

"Mal? What are you talking about?" asked Ben.

Audrey shows Ben what she saw earlier through the scepter's eye. That moment between Mal and Carlos at Evie's starter castle. Ben can see the way they look at each other and listen to every word they're saying to each other. The tears they both shed as they talking about "feelings" and the way they held each other, it was a disconcerting sight for him. When Mal gave Carlos a soft and affectionate headbutt full of emotion, it made Ben start to shake his head in an attempt to shake off the thoughts these images are putting in his head.

"Looks like Mal is already having renovations," said Audrey.

"No, this can't be," Ben said with disbelief.

"Believe it, Benny-Boo," said Audrey. "I don't know what happened between them before, but all the signs point to exactly what you're thinking."

"No, I'll hear it from her first," said Ben. "If you're trying to break us up, I won't let that happen."

"You know what, sleeping is too good for you," said Audrey.

Audrey knocks Ben out with the scepter's magic, casting a spell on him as well. While Ben lies down on the floor, Audrey turns and leaves to find another way to ruin Mal's life.

* * *

Mal and Celia had just finished stealing Hades' ember from Hades himself. Well, they didn't exactly "steal" it, as planned. Mal and Hades, who is her father, got into a musical argument about child abandonment and self-interest. Mal refused to give Hades a second chance and demanded he hand over the ember. He gave it to her and warned her not to get it wet. All that's left now is to return to their friends and get out of the Isle to use the ember against the now evil Audrey.

On their way, they ran into Carlos, who got lost during the chase. Harry, Gil, and the pirate stole their bikes so Evie, Jay, and Carlos had to chase them all over the Isle to get them back. Clearly, they got separated.

Once again, as soon as Mal and Carlos' eyes met, an unsettling silence filled the atmosphere.

"Celia, why don't you go find Evie and Jay?" Mal suggested.

"O-kay?" Celia said, suspicious and confused.

Celia walks away, leaving Mal alone with Carlos. Mal steps closer and stops just a foot away from him, guessing that he doesn't want her to stand too close when they're alone together.

"They got away with the bikes, didn't they?" Mal started.

"I guess we're going back to Auradon on foot," said Carlos. "Well, we need the exercise, I guess."

"I have it," Mal said, showing said ember.

"At least you had better luck than we did," said Carlos.

"It wasn't exactly a flawless theft," said Mal. "I asked it from him, and he gave it to me."

"Why would Hades just willingly give it to you without asking for anything?" asked Carlos.

"Because he's my father," Mal revealed.

"What?!" Carlos reacted, shocked.

Mal simply nods her head, confirming that she's telling the truth. Carlos takes a moment to absorb this knowledge. Hades, the God of the Underworld, is Mal's father.

"So, um, I guess that makes you a... demigod... I think?" Carlos said awkwardly, trying to act casual.

"Half-fairy, half-god. Yeah, pretty much," Mal replied.

"Does anyone else know?" asked Carlos.

"Evie does," Mal answered. "And that's why I'm telling you now. No more keeping girl talk between me and Evie."

"I guess that's one thing I wanted you to remember from last year," said Carlos.

"One thing?" Mal asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Do we have to talk about this again?" Carlos questioned.

"Since you brought it up, probably," said Mal.

"Mal, not now. We have bigger problems to worry about," said Carlos.

"I know," said Mal. She steps closer and says, "But I just want to be sure we're on the same page."

"Depending on what that page contains," said Carlos.

"Carlos, just say it," said Mal.

"It's not gonna change anything, you know," Carlos said wistfully.

"I'll know the truth," said Mal.

"Mal, why do you need to persist about this?" Carlos asked. "You and Ben, you're meant to be. I mean, if you're having second thoughts, then that's just ridiculous. What you and Ben have is true love, obviously."

"I know," Mal said with a soft, sad tone.

"Then why did you say yes?" asked Carlos.

"I was caught up in the moment, and I didn't know how much last year would still bother you today," Mal answered simply. "Then again, that's my fault. I turned girl talk into something more, and all I was expecting is that we both get what we need. Clearly, that's not the case."

"I can't keep this thing up with Jane for long, Mal," said Carlos. "I really like her, but..."

"Then end it," Mal suggested calmly.

"I can't do that. Not on her birthday," said Carlos.

"You owe her the truth, which you still haven't told me," said Mal. "I know how you feel, but I wanna hear you tell me. Even if it changes nothing, at least we can resolve this issue."

"You really think it's that easy?" Carlos questioned. "We're both sitting in the same corner because we backed ourselves in that corner."

Mal responds by leaning closer. Carlos leans back, but he freezes when feels he was about to fall. As she leans closer, Mal closes her eyes and reaches for Carlos' hand. Carlos does nothing as she leans closer...

"Mal!"

Mal pulls back when she hears Evie's voice. Evie walks up to the two of them with a serious look on her face. Carlos is adjusting his collar nervously while Mal is acting like what almost happened never happened.

"I've been looking for you two," said Evie. "M, I see you have Hades' ember. In that case, let's go. We have to hurry before Audrey hurts someone else."

"Okay," Mal said normally, still keeping a straight face.

Mal walks pass Evie, but Carlos is still standing there, stunned. Still thinking about what she saw (or almost saw), Evie's serious expression shows more worry as she looks at the just as concerned Carlos De Vil.

"I knew this would be a problem," Evie muttered.

"You have no idea," Carlos agreed.

"Maybe I don't see the full picture, but you two almost snapped a new one," said Evie. "This has to stop."

"I can try, but I can't promise anything for her," said Carlos.

Evie sighs and says, "Let's go."

Evie grabs Carlos' hand and gently drags him with her. The unusually tight grip of Evie's hand around Carlos' tells him that she's probably just as worried about him about this whole Mal situation.

**Okay, I admit that this chapter might have been just filler. But I just wanted to address one little issue. Evie was the only one who knew that Hades is Mal's dad before she told everyone... and considering that the girl talk in D2 was about stopping Mal and Evie from keeping things between themselves, I just wanted to write this chapter here. Don't worry. I'm trying to build up to something more later.**

**Rest assured, what Audrey revealed to Ben will come into play in a future chapter. *rubbing my hands together in excitement* I wanna get started on it right away, but I still need to rest (or just do something on my computer besides writing). I'll still try to update it as soon as I can.**

**Until then, please leave a review and let me know what you think.**


	6. Emotional Obstacles

**Okay, I know I said I would rest, but the holidays-off from school is giving a lot of time. Anyway, here's the newest chapter. It takes place when the boys and girls split up to look for Ben and Audrey.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following user for reviewing the previous chapter: Robyn**

Uma, Harry, and Gil reluctantly team up with Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, and Celia to save Auradon from Audrey. Uma's condition for her services is for the rest of the VKs on the Isle to be released. After fighting suits of armor controlled by Audrey's magic, they decided to split up to search for Ben, who is missing. The boys will look for Ben, while the girls check Audrey's dorm for clues on where she could be.

Uma and Celia are currently at Audrey's dorm, looking for anything that could help. Mal and Evie, meanwhile, search the campus, just in case.

"I know Audrey was really mad that Ben chose me, but she didn't have to go all evil on us," said Mal. "I mean, stealing my mom's scepter and the crown that I'm gonna wear when I become queen, that's too dramatic..."

"Mal," Evie interrupted. "I know we should worry about Audrey, but we have to focus."

"Right," Mal understood. "We have to find her."

Mal continues walking, but Evie grabs her shoulder and stops her.

"I meant you," said Evie. "You're not completely focused."

"What are you talking about?" asked Mal. "If this is about not being friends with Uma..."

"It's about Carlos," Evie said.

"Oh, God. Not this again," Mal responded, exasperated.

"You were gonna kiss him again had I not stepped in. This is a problem, you know," said Evie. "Mal, you just talked about becoming queen. Is that even what you want?"

"This is not the time, Evie," said Mal.

"I don't care if we're wasting time. When we find Ben, I don't even want to think about how you're going to act," said Evie. "Are you really that ignorant about how troublesome this matter is?"

"You think I'm ignorant?" Mal questioned.

"Mal, do you love Carlos?" Evie asked again.

Mal looks away from Evie as she breathes in and out angrily, irritated by Evie's persistence.

"And what if I tell you that I do?" Mal asked softly, still looking away.

"That brings me to my next question," said Evie. "Who do you choose? Ben or Carlos?"

"I'm not some hopeless damsel desperate for one man's affection. I make my choices based on my own heart, Evie," Mal said very seriously.

"I just don't want you to make the wrong choice, whichever one it is," said Evie. "You kissed Carlos, Mal..."

"And you think this affects anything?" Mal questioned.

"Yes, because I think he feels the same way about you," said Evie.

"I can tell," said Mal.

"Then why do you keep refusing to see how big of a conundrum this is?" asked Evie. "You choose Ben, you'll be Queen of Auradon and finally unite the AKs and VKs. You choose Carlos, you're sacrificing your responsibilities to the kingdom because of... something... I don't know."

Mal finally looks back at Evie, only with an irked expression on her face.

"What would you have me do?" asked Mal. "What, huh? I know my heart is not in a right state at the moment. I know that I have put myself in a difficult situation. An emotional situation. I don't need you to lecture me or to try to understand what I'm feeling inside. Just focus on finding Audrey and then maybe I'll give you some clarity. But for now, drop it, E. I'm serious."

Mal walks away, continuing her search for Audrey and ignoring Evie's pestering.

* * *

Much later that day, the girls return to Evie's starter castle and wait for the boys to return with Ben or at least a lead on him. They found Doug in there, also under a sleeping spell. After a melodious contemplation about if she does feel the L word for Doug, Evie finally gives him True Love's Kiss, waking him up.

Audrey, from Fairy Cottage, thought it would be fun to magically trap the girls, and Doug, inside the castle by covering every door and window with a bunch of cursed wooden boards. Mal's magic was not enough to free them. But combining her magic with Uma's, the two rivals managed to lift Audrey's spell from the starter castle, allowing them to escape. And just in time, too. The boys had just returned with Ben, who is safe and sound... and covered with facial hair.

Audrey turned Ben into a beast, just like the Enchantress did with Ben's father. Carlos, being an animal specialist, managed to calm Ben down, just in time for Jane to show up and spray Ben with water from the Enchanted Lake, turning him back to normal... but his facial hair couldn't be erased.

"I like it," Mal said as she touched her boyfriend's beastly beard.

"What about those?" Uma asked, pointing at the king's teeth.

Two of Ben's teeth are still pointy from the beast transformation. Mal wasn't sure about it, but Ben says he likes it.

Carlos, meanwhile, stares at Jane from a distance as he looks at the gift in his hand. It has the "Jarlos" necklace he plans to give to her for her birthday. Seeing Mal and Ben looking at and holding each other with love, it reminded Carlos that he has only one path forward from here. But there's another path. He can choose not to give Jane the gift, at least not until he's certain. So, he tucks the gift away, hiding it from Jane.

"That was for Jane, wasn't it?" Evie asked as she approached her white-haired friend.

"_What_ was for Jane?" Jay asked, having heard Evie.

"It's nothing," Carlos evaded.

"Good. It should be, for now," said Evie.

"What are you saying?" asked Carlos.

"Yeah, what are you saying?" Jay asked his blue-haired friend, confused.

"Just be sure you know what you know where you are with Jane, Carlos," said Evie. "Trust me. You and Mal are better off thinking things over first."

"Him and Mal thinking about what?" Jay asked, still confused.

"Mal kissed him," Dude revealed.

"Dude!" Carlos whisper-shouted in a scolding tone.

"Sorry. Truth gummy and all," Dude apologized.

"Wait, Mal kissed Carlos?" Jay asked, surprised. "When?"

"Last year. After girl talk," Dude answered.

"Dude!" Carlos whisper-shouted again, covering his dog's mouth.

"Okay, wait. Mal kissed Carlos last year, after girl talk, before Cotillion, before she gave Ben the True Love's Kiss thing... what?" Jay sounded even more confused.

"Not a word of this, okay?" Evie ordered. "Not a word. This stays between us and Mal."

"And me," said Dude.

"Shut it," Carlos scolded.

"Hey, sorry, man," Dude replied.

"You know I love you, man," Carlos apologized, petting his dog. "But try to be quiet for once, please?"

Mal can see her three best friends chatting in private. Ben can see how she was looking at Carlos, which is making him think about what Audrey showed him earlier. However, he has no time to ask her about this.

They have to get to Fairy Cottage and stop Audrey before the madness escalates. But they also have to find Fairy God Mother and ask for her help. Gil offers to accompany Jane and Doug as they search for the headmistress.

"Jane," Carlos called.

"What is it?" asked Jane.

"I, uh, I... happy birthday," Carlos said, trying hard not to sound nervous.

"Thank you," said Jane.

Jane kisses Carlos on the cheek before walking off with Doug and Gil. Evie comforts Carlos with a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, knowing how much he's struggling emotionally right now.

"I'm gonna hate this later," Carlos muttered sadly.

"Emphasis on _later_," said Evie.

**Okay, okay, just bear with me. Ben is only suspicious in this chapter, but it's in the next chapter when it's really gonna get good. The next chapter will take place during the part where Mal and friends look for Audrey in Fairy Cottage. While I am excited, I am also nervous about the ending. Believe me, I already have the ending planned, but the context and events to get to the planned ending are still hard for me to go through. To go from one-shot to a full story, it's hard (see "Truth Gummy," which was fun to write but - personally - suffered from tonal shifts due to change of plans, from a humorous one-shot to a partially melodramatic love story).**

**In the case of this story, D3 is supposed to be about stopping Audrey and Mal's decision to close the Isle's barrier forever, but now I'm introducing a love triangle that requires bold and radical choices to make it work.**

**Anyways, feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think.**


	7. The Truth Comes Out Eventually

**Time for some real drama. All story long, I've tried to showcase the emotional fallout of the "girl talk" all the way back from Descendants 2. I even had Mal tell Carlos about her relation to Hades, just because I didn't like it that Evie was the only one who knew.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: iquinn18, Dorothyshoes30, Robyn, Kenna**

**_To Dorothyshoes30_: There's only a few chapters left.**

Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Ben, Uma, Harry, and Celia head to Fairy Cottage to stop Audrey's reign of terror once and for all. Unfortunately, she's not there either. Not outside or inside or upstairs. They did hear something, though. In the closet on the first floor, they can hear whimpering or something like that. They open the closet and find Chad, who is hugging his knees, mumbling "I want my mommy" multiple times. He looked traumatized, or at least acted like he is. He certainly sounded like he was mortified, obviously because it was Audrey who locked him in the closet.

Chad is delighted and puzzled at first sight of Ben. He's free from the closet, but his long-time friend grew facial hair. He became a bit nervous when he looked at all the VKs who are in the cottage.

"Is she gone?" Chad asked, referring to his ex. Seeing the open door, he says, "The door is open. FREEDOM!"

Chad immediately runs out of the front door, desperate to taste freedom after being locked in the closet all day. Ben and the VKs just watch him unblinkingly as he sprints out of the cottage.

"Meet Chad Charming," Evie said casually.

"Resident spoiled brat, idiot, and snob," Jay added nonchalantly.

"Jane mentioned that he blindly volunteered to be Audrey's evil minion," Carlos mentioned candidly.

"I wanna say he got what he deserved, but I feel kinda bad for him," Mal said indifferently.

"We didn't find Audrey, but at least we saved a friend," said Ben.

"Now what?" asked Uma. "This Audrey chick isn't here, so where to next?"

"We regroup with Jane, Doug... and Chad, if we're lucky... and think of a new plan," said Mal. "Best we got for now."

"_I don't think so,_" said a disembodied voice.

"Audrey?" Mal reacted, having recognized the voice.

"_Let's see you get out of this one,_" Audrey said evilly.

The kids see magical pink smoke outside through the windows, surrounding the entire cottage. Jay tries running out the door, but a force field pushes him back in. The pink smoke gets in, forcing everyone to stand back. The smoke, however, was targeting someone. It was Carlos.

"Carlos, look out!" Evie shouted.

Unfortunately, Carlos couldn't evade the smoke. As soon as he breathed it in, he fell. Fell asleep.

"Sleeping curse," Mal realized.

"Call Jane. She can wake him up," Jay suggested.

Ben grabs his phone and calls Jane. Mal and Uma, meanwhile, stand by the front door, ready to combine their magic again to escape the cottage, just like back at Evie's starter castle.

"You've caused our friends pain fear! We've had enough! Now disappear!" They chanted.

It didn't work. They were able to put a dent into the force field, but it wasn't enough.

"Dammit," Uma cursed.

"The force field. It's linked to the sleeping spell," Mal realized. "The only way to lift it is to wake up Carlos."

"Bad news. I can't get a signal. Audrey's cut us off," Ben reported.

"So, we're stuck here?" Celia panicked.

"Wait! All Carlos needs is True Love's Kiss," Evie remembered. "Mal, you think..."

Evie stops talking when she sees that Mal is already approaching the sleeping Carlos. Mal, for some reason, tries to shake him awake, despite knowing it wouldn't work. "Emotional attachment," just like she said to Uma when Evie foolishly tried to wake up a sleeping Doug earlier. She can't help it. To see him fall under a sleeping spell, cast by a scepter that belonged to her mother, it was too horrific for her to just take it easily.

"It's never that easy, isn't it?" Mal said sadly. "What I gave you last year, it was more than just a reward. It was something... much more. You helped me pick myself back up when I was at my lowest. What I did, it was all I could think of to repay you. But that wasn't all of it. No, it meant more than I made it seem. And I wanna show you again. Right now. Will it change anything? Yes? No? I don't know. But I want to tell you..."

Mal stops talking as she strokes Carlos' face. He seems to react to her touch as he moves his head. He's asleep, but he can still feel. _Maybe he can hear me_, she hoped. She gently rubs his snow white hair as she slowly leans closer. The others' eyes widen as they watch. _Is she gonna do what I think she's gonna do_, everyone thought. Everyone, except Evie, who actually expected this.

Mal leans in closer until her lips finally make contact with Carlos' lips.

Everyone (except Evie) opens their mouths in shock and disbelief, especially Ben. They're all wondering the same thing. What is happening?

Mal slowly parts her lips from Carlos', but she keeps her eyes closed as she stays close to him. Her forehead touching his affectionately. She couldn't turn around, not yet. As much as she hated to see the look on everyone's faces, she desperately wants to see Carlos wake up from this awful spell. _Damn the consequences, he needs you_, she told herself repeatedly.

"You smell like birthday cake," Carlos mumbled.

"Huh?" Mal reacted, surprised.

Carlos opens his eyes and smiles a little smile at her. A tear of joy streams down Mal's face as she smiles widely from the sight of her white-haired "friend" finally waking up.

Evie, Jay, and Ben are also happy to see Carlos awake. However, how he woke up is still bothering them. Uma and Harry just stare, puzzled.

Mal embraces Carlos, expressing how happy she is to see him wide awake. Carlos hugs her back as he rests his head on her shoulder. He can see the looks on the faces of his friends and "allies." The look on Ben's face, it's what's worrying him the most. All he can do is let Mal's hug lessen his worries. She's hugging him pretty tight, but he understand why.

"And you smell like magic," said Mal.

"Thank Audrey for that," said Carlos. "I don't want any of her cooties, though."

Mal laughed.

Harry shoots a teasing grin at Ben.

"Seems like you got some serious competition, and I don't mean me," Harry whispered to the young king.

Ben just glares at Harry, who ignores him.

"Guys," Jay called. "The pink smoke is gone."

As soon as Carlos woke up, the pink smoke and force field outside disappeared. To make sure, Jay slowly walks to the front door. He sticks his hand out the doorway, and nothing happened. They can leave now.

"Why would Audrey do this?" Uma wondered.

"To tear us apart," Evie guessed gravely.

Mal helps Carlos stand up. The stared at each other for a long time with their hands locked, increasing the awkwardness in the room. They laugh nervously as they slowly let go of each other. Carlos rubs the back of his head with a sheepish grin, while Mal just smiles at him with sparkles in her eyes (literally and metaphorically).

"C'mon. Let's go," Jay called.

Before walking out the door with the others, Mal approaches her fiance, who is clearly disturbed and dumbfounded by what he just saw. Mal places her finger on his lips before he could speak.

"We will talk when this crisis is over, okay?" Mal said.

Mal walks out the door with Ben's arm in her grip, dragging him with her since he seems frozen at the moment. Evie does the same with Carlos again, since he won't move.

* * *

As if things weren't bad enough already, Evie told Ben that the reason Uma teamed up with Mal is because Mal promised to deactivate the barrier and let all the VKs free. Having just revealed a big secret of her own recently, Mal decided to come clean about the barrier. She lied. To Uma. To Harry. To Evie. To everyone. Not only did she never have the intention of lifting the barrier for good but she also hid the fact that it was her idea to keep all the innocent VKs trapped on the Isle for Auradon's safety.

Uma and Harry, disappointed and disillusioned, abandon Mal and decide to stop Audrey their own way. Celia, furious that she will never get to see her father again, tosses Hades' ember into a birdbath, rendering it useless. Not only has her new allies abandoned her, but her best friends are looking at her with disappointment in their faces. Ben, meanwhile, stayed silent with guilt all over his face, ashamed that he even agreed to Mal's idea in the first place.

"Closing the barrier was _your_ idea?" Evie started, shocked and disheartened.

"I couldn't tell you. I was afraid I would lose my best friend," said Mal. "But I had to do it. For Audrey's safety. For us. For the lives we have here now."

"What about the kids on the Isle? The kids that we promised we would give new lives?" Evie reminded.

"I... I know... I can't..." Mal couldn't defend herself.

"You lied to me. You lied to Jay. You lied to Carlos," Evie said, on the verge of tears. "And all this because of the queen's crown. Do you even want it?"

"What?" Mal reacted.

"You made a selfish decision, and you just proved to us that your heart may not be in the right place," Evie said, pointing at her white-haired friend.

Carlos feels like he's in the middle of it, when he shouldn't be. Despite being disappointed about the barrier, he couldn't deny that he stop thinking about what just happened back in the cottage.

"What do you really want, Mal?" Evie asked, sounding furious in spite of the sad tone in her voice.

"Evie, I couldn't... I... I had no choice!" Mal shouted.

A light flashed from the sky. Mal shielded her eyes in response. When she opened her eyes, she sees something horrific. Her friends and her boyfriend have been turned to stone. By Audrey. Why? To punish her? To hurt her more?

"No," Mal cried.

Mal walks slowly as she tries to fight back the tears. She drops to her knees in front of the stone statues that are Carlos and Dude. She raises her hand and caresses his cheek, which feels as rough as rock. He didn't move. He didn't respond to her touch. Nothing. He's just stone, like the rest. Mal couldn't hold back the tears anymore. She couldn't touch Carlos anymore. Seeing him as stone is hard enough for her, but to touch him while he's like this... it's heartbreaking.

"No," Mal cried again.

**Cue Mal's solo titled "My Once Upon a Time." I really like that song. One of the most tear-jerking moments of the trilogy for me. Oh, how far she has gone since the first movie. Mal is my favorite character in the Descendants universe, by a wide margin. Who's your favorite Descendants character?**

**Anyways, this is where I'm gonna leave the story for now. I may not update again until after Christmas. I intend to finish this story before January 1st, 2020 (Christmas break doesn't last forever). Speaking of Christmas... Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday to everyone out there. I hope you have a jolly time in this wonderful moment of the year.**

**Please leave a review after reading and let me know your thoughts about this chapter. I would really appreciate it.**


	8. One Crisis Down, One To Go

**Merry Christmas, everyone! (depending on where you are on the planet Earth - time zones and all that)**

**Now, it's time for the next chapter. Honestly, getting to the finish line is making me extremely nervous. I mentioned before I already know what I wanted for the ending. It's just "how" to get there is tough. Anyways, enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for the most recent reviews: Alexjhag, Galvatron II, Ss, Robyn, Mara**

**_To Galvatron II_: Honestly, I just need a break from FanFiction... or at least to work on smaller stories in other archives. But yeah, Marlos stories are hard to come by, but for me it really depends on quality instead of quantity.**

**_To Mara_: Oops. I'm so sorry if that moment where Mal reveals to Carlos that Hades is her father was underwhelming. I can re-edit it, if that'll be okay. Although, I do love your review for Chapter 6 (about Mal's "damsel" dilemma). Awesome way to sum up everything going wrong with the characters in this story.**

**_To PopCultureFan101_: I'm not so sure if I want to continue it. I crumbled under the pressure of its success and everyone's expectations/requests. I didn't have much of a plan when I started it (it was meant to be a fun one-shot collection slowly building up to a bigger story), but the story got bigger too fast and I just felt like the story was all over the place. It's so hard to keep track of everything. I lost interest continuing because of all that (plus my dedication to my 7-part series here in the Descendants archive). I'm so very sorry.**

Mal, with help from Uma, had just defeated Audrey and saved Celia, who Audrey kidnapped during their final battle. However, the power combination of Mal's ember and Uma's necklace put Audrey into a deep sleep. If they don't wake her up soon, it will be too late. The only thing that can wake up Audrey is the ember, but Mal knew it would only work to its fullest under Hades' use. Mal even revealed to everyone that Hades is her father, meaning that he'll have a reason to help them. Reluctantly, Ben and his parents agree to have Hades come over to save Audrey. Uma, Harry, Gil, and Celia return to the Isle, because that is their home, their roots.

Everyone just waits for the night to pass because they plan to bring Hades over in the morning. Until then, there is some issues the need to be addressed. These issues involve Mal, Carlos, and Ben.

The True Love's Kiss that Mal gave to Carlos back at Fairy Cottage, it lingered in everyone's minds. It was Evie who had to tell Belle, Beast, and Fairy God Mother in order to spare Mal and Ben the trouble. But now the question of whether or not Mal will forego with the engagement or not plagues the minds of nearly everyone in Mal's circle.

Ben wanted to talk to her about it, since she promised they would after the Audrey crisis has been resolved. He found Mal at the Enchanted Lake, the place where they had their first date. The decorations for Jane's birthday party yesterday haven't been cleaned up yet, but neither Mal nor Ben cared. As tempted as Mal was to just eat some of the untouched party goods, she was too emotionally occupied to even bother.

"I thought I'd find you here," said Ben.

"After searching the castle and the school," Mal guessed.

"Well, it's been a while since we've been here," said Ben.

"We've been too busy. It's not hard to see why," said Mal.

Ben sighs and says, "Mal, we really need to..."

"I know," Mal interrupted. "And I've been standing here, thinking about everything I can and want to say to you."

"And what do you want to say?" Ben asked, nervous on the inside.

Mal turns his direction, walks towards him, and holds his hands with a solemn expression on her face. Ben is afraid of what might come next, but he tries to keep a straight face as he waits for her to speak. He has to hear her out first.

"Ben, you know I love you," said Mal.

"You saved me from Uma's love spell. I have no reason not to believe it," said Ben.

"And I said not too long ago that I want to stay here and be with you," Mal remembered. "But I can't do it anymore."

"What do you mean?" Ben asked, despite having expected the worst.

"Ben, my first decision as future queen was a foolish one," said Mal. "I know you're probably gonna say that it can only get better, but I don't think it can. For me, at least."

"What are you trying say, Mal?" asked Ben. "I wouldn't have proposed to you if I knew you wouldn't make a great queen one day."

"I will, but not of Auradon," said Mal. "Ben, my decision to close the barrier forever proves that I can't balance my emotions with my choices well. Auradon needs a queen who can do just that, and it's not me."

"Mal, please, just give it more time," Ben pleaded.

"And I will, but I've made up my mind," Mal said sadly. "I can't be your queen, Ben, no matter how much I want to be."

Mal takes off her engagement ring and puts it in Ben's hand. A tear rains down her face as she lets go of his hand. Ben wants to say something, but Mal silences his lips with her finger. She plants a soft and brief kiss on his lips, trying to soften the blow.

"Don't make this any harder," Mal pleaded as she shed another tear. "I can't tell you how hard this is for me. But I have to do what's best for me."

"I... I..." Ben closes his eyes as he sighs sadly. "I understand."

"Don't think this means what we had didn't mean anything to me," said Mal. "It did. You taught me to love, and that's one of the best gifts anyone has ever given me. Thank you."

"Uh, you're welcome," Ben replied. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"I do have one thing to ask from you, though," said Mal. "And I want you to listen very carefully."

"I'm all ears," said Ben.

Mal starts whispering something into Ben's ear. She couldn't say these words out loud, only because she felt uneasy about bringing this forward to him. Ben's eyes widened as he listened further.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Auradon Prep, Carlos is having an emotional conversation of his own, with his girlfriend Jane. "Girlfriend" being the key term here. It's only been a day after Jane's birthday and she had just received strange news. Audrey cast a sleeping spell on Carlos, and Mal woke up him up with True Love's Kiss. True Love's Kiss. There is no way anyone can ever take that moment lightly, not even Carlos and Jane.

Jane was quiet for a couple of minutes and Carlos just sat there, not wanting to leave her alone as he wanted to finish this talk with her. He owed her the truth. The "girl talk" last year and the incident at Fairy Cottage.

"When did you think it started? Her loving you, I mean," Jane asked.

"Last year's girl talk? Maybe before that? I don't know," Carlos answered. "She just kissed me. And I had no idea what to think."

"But now you do," Jane guessed.

"I am sorry, Jane," Carlos apologized. "I wanted to give you your birthday gift, but... I wasn't so sure yet. What I was about to give you, it was gonna propel our relationship forward. But it was hard for me to even think about that when... you know."

"Do you feel the same about her?" asked Jane.

"I don't know... I mean, I'm not sure... I mean, I don't know how else to explain why I've been so caught up on this," Carlos said, expressing anger at himself.

Jane puts her hand on his shoulder and says, "I had no idea. I'm sorry."

"No, I chose to hide them from everyone," said Carlos. "I wanted to move on. Mal and Ben got back together. I finally got to ask you out. I thought there would be no more problems. But then Ben proposed to Mal and I... I felt..."

"Do you want to take a break?" asked Jane.

"That's code for _break-up_, isn't it?" Carlos guessed. He covers his face with his hands and says, "I'm really sorry, Jane. I don't know what to do with myself. I've never felt this broken before. My chest is cracking and I don't know how to patch it."

"If I'm breaking up with you, it's only because I'm worried about you," said Jane. "I wanna be there for you, but not as your girlfriend. Not until you sort your own heart out."

"Man, you've really grown since last year," Carlos said, impressed. "The Jane I met in Goodness class is a total stranger from who's right in front of me."

"The VKs did me a huge favor. They helped me become brave, to be more confident with myself," said Jane.

"So, this is it, isn't it?" Carlos asked sadly, knowing he can't escape what's happening.

"I don't want this to be _it_, Carlos, but you need to think this through," said Jane. "Just remember. I'm always here. Truth be told, I'm not okay with this, but I have to be mindful about how you feel. Okay?"

Jane kisses Carlos on the cheek before leaving. Carlos watches her walk away, smiling as he thinks about what could've been had things have been simpler between them. They were already simple, but Carlos' year-long dilemma didn't make it so. He breathes in and out, trying to "suck it up" like a man, even if it's foolish to try. He constantly reminds himself that it's not about whether or not Mal wants him. It's about how his feelings affects his life. He can't be with Jane if he's not honest with himself. _Why did this have to happen around her birthday, though_, Carlos thought. Any day of the year would have been better, even if he won't feel better.

"You guys can come out now," said Carlos.

Evie, Jay, and Dude come out from the nearest corner. Evie had kept Dude's mouth shut the entire time, not wanting to alert Jane to their presence.

"She took it better than I thought," said Jay.

"Jane's matured, Jay. She listens before she judges," said Evie.

"I say she's the one, but too bad this is a sad ending," said Dude.

Carlos takes his dog into his arms, pets him, and says, "It's not too sad. I still have you and you guys."

"By the way, I don't want to have to tell you this now, but... Mal cancelled her engagement," Evie revealed.

"Whoa, really?" Jay reacted, surprised. "Is this because of Carlos?"

"I haven't asked her yet. I just got the word," said Evie.

"So, um, is this the beginning of a new love story?" asked Jay.

"It's Mal's choice, Jay. I'm not gonna ask her to be my girlfriend or anything. I just need time to think and calm down," said Carlos.

"Seriously, though, man. Mal? Really? I mean, she's great, but I didn't expect you to feel about her this way," said Jay.

"I blame myself, honestly. Girl talk, man. It started this whole mess," said Carlos.

"No, that girl talk is one of the best things that ever happened to us," said Evie. "Things would be a lot worse with out. I know that what's happening now make it seem that it was for nothing, but it wasn't for nothing. The three of us and Mal, we're still family. No heartbreak is gonna destroy that."

"I know," Carlos responded.

"Okay, but still... if Mal wanted to be with you, would you take that chance?" asked Jay.

Carlos didn't want to answer Jay. He just pets Dude with a little smile on his face. Deep down, he knew the answer to the question.

* * *

Hades was brought to Auradon from the Isle, in magical hand cuffs so he can't do any harm. Mal gave him his ember and he woke up Audrey, only because his daughter asked him to. He didn't just do them a favor. He brought up something about how hypocritical Auradon's justice system is. Audrey, a hero's child, tried to take over Auradon and they consider it as an error in judgment. But the villains and their offspring are just thrown away to the Isle for merely existing.

Once Audrey woke up, she apologized to everyone. She sadly expressed that she legitimately wanted to hurt them because she was hurt. She's clearly ashamed of it, but she couldn't deny her dark feelings. Mal and Ben apologized to her for their role in her descent to darkness. Queen Leah apologized to Mal for her attitude towards her.

"Mal, where's your ring?" Audrey asked, noticing that her ex-nemesis doesn't have an engagement ring on her finger.

Mal looks at the finger where the engagement ring was, but she stays silent. Audrey looks back and forth between Mal and Ben. They were avoiding eye contact, but when they do glance at each other, they was a lot of gloom in their eyes. It's obvious to Audrey now what's wrong.

"Is this because of what I did at the cottage?" asked Audrey.

Mal can only nod a little in response.

"I'm sorry," Audrey apologized again. "I wanted to ruin your relationship so bad that I... I didn't care what would happen."

"No. In a way, you did the right thing," said Mal. "I owed everyone the truth. What you did was near unforgivable, but I knew I could save Carlos."

"What does this mean for you two?" asked Audrey.

"I'm gonna rule Auradon on my own for a lot longer, and Mal, well, she has a big announcement later," said Ben.

Mal looks over at her father Hades. He's just a little bored of the drama in this room. Still, she's grateful for what he's done today. Despite her falling out with Ben, times are looking brighter, especially with what she's planning to do later today.

**I'm gonna be real with you guys. I personally have mixed feelings over what I just wrote in this chapter. On the one hand, I am getting to the ending I want. On the other, I'm not sure if it's convincing enough. But I guess I'll leave that to all of you to decide. Different FanFiction stories tackle breakups and reasons for breakups in different ways. Whenever I tackle breakups, I try to be as serious as I can, even if it's not 100% convincing (I aim for 67%-75%, at the very least).**

**There's only one chapter left in this story. Yes, it's only 9 chapters long. And I want to finish it before 2020 begins.**

**Until then, please leave a review and share your thoughts/reactions on this chapter. I always appreciate feedback.**


	9. The Bridge Between Two Worlds

**Final chapter of "Girl Talk". I know I could've probably taken this story in a bigger direction, but I chose to keep it simple, just like with my recent Carvie story - "A Special Night". It's just so refreshing not to put too much pressure on myself. Anyways, enjoy.**

**Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.**

**I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter (and for making me feel better with my story choices): Dorothyshoes30, Ss, brico4899, Mara**

**WARNING: Dramatic Author's Note at the bottom. Read it or ignore it.**

The influence of Maleficent's scepter within Audrey has been purged, but the end of her evil reign came with a cost. Just a couple days ago, Ben proposed to Mal on live TV and she said yes. Now, the people of Auradon just got the news that Mal had just ended the engagement. That's one of the issues that she and Ben need to address to the kingdom. They decided to talk about this right beside the magical bridge to the Isle of the Lost. Mal stood on the royal balcony with Ben, Belle, Beast, and Fairy God Mother, preparing to make her big announcement.

Evie, Jay, Carlos, Audrey, Chad, Jane, Doug, other students of Auradon Prep, and some of the citizens of Auradon watch from below and wait for Mal to speak.

"A few days ago, I gave your beloved king an answer that would shape my future forever," Mal started. "To be Queen of Auradon, it's been something I have been preparing for since I confessed my feelings for Ben. But choosing that position came with a momentary lapse of judgment. I turned my back on the Isle, the place where I came from. We made a decision to close the barrier forever, and it was my idea. The wrong idea. I made a couple realizations upon discovering the error of my choice. I realized that you can't live in fear. Fear clouds your judgment and it can't protect anyone, not even yourself. Without Uma and her pirates, Auradon would have fallen. Without my father Hades, Audrey would be gone."

The people below were shocked by the revelation. They have accepted the fact that Mal is the daughter of Maleficent, but to be the daughter of Hades...

"Everyone is capable of good and evil, no matter which side of the barrier you come from," Mal continued. "And that is why I can't be Queen of Auradon. I have to be Queen of the Isle. I may not sit on the throne beside King Ben, but I will work with him to unite our two worlds into one. And that is why your king has given me his approval to open the barrier forever."

"Are you sure about this, son?" asked Beast.

"I am," Ben said positively. "It's time for things to change. It's time for forgiveness."

Ben asks Fairy God Mother for her magic wand. The young king holds the wand in front of his ex-fiance with a smile on his face, trusting her to unite their two lands in peace.

"Queen Mal of the Isle, will you do the honors?" Ben asked.

"I gladly shall," Mal accepted.

Before grabbing the wand, Mal asks her three best friends - Evie, Jay, and Carlos - to come up to the balcony with her. She wants them to stand by her side as they make history. The three eagerly rush towards the Isle's new queen. They stand very close to each other as Mal holds the wand in her hand.

"To make the world a better place," Mal started the incantation.

"We have to do it face to face," said the four VKs at the same time.

With those words and a wave of the magic wand, Mal removes the barrier from the Isle of the Lost. The magical bridge appears as the VKs on the Isle notice the barrier disappearing. Uma, Harry, Gil, and Celia are among those VKs who are making their way to the bridge. Uma is already smiling, knowing that Mal has actually kept her promise of freeing the VKs from the Isle.

Cue the singing and dancing.

Uma and the other VKs cross the bridge and celebrate the bringing down of the barrier with the AKs. Mal and Uma are finally having fun together like true friends. Harry, Gil, Celia, Dizzy, Squeaky and Squirmy dance along with everyone, feeling so happy that things are changing for the better for both heroes and villains. Harry even finds a dance partner in Audrey (after Uma rejected his attempt at a kiss). Even Belle and Beast are in on the celebration, having accepted that it's time to accept change.

Dr. Facilier, Lady Tremaine, and Mr. Smee cross the bridge to be with their children and they too join the dance party.

Mal has danced with pretty much everyone during this happy moment. She's danced with Uma, with Evie, with Ben, and with Jay. But the person she wanted to dance with the most is Carlos. Pulling him away from the crowd, she jumps and twirls with him in her arms. Despite feeling surprised by the intervention, Carlos wastes no time getting into the groove with Mal. They match each other's steps as they hold hands tightly. After a graceful twirl, Mal plants her lips right on Carlos' cheek. It was a very deep cheek kiss, full of intense passion. Carlos knows where the intense passion of that cheek kiss is coming from.

"A bit too soon, don't you think?" Carlos asked, despite the smile on his face.

"Don't ruin the moment. Enjoy it," said Mal.

"Are you really sure about this, Mal?" asked Carlos.

"Being Queen of the Isle, or you?" Mal replied curiously.

"We both just went through separate breakups. Kinda messy ones, you know," Carlos pointed out.

"I know," said Mal. With a teasing tone, she adds, "But if I ever need a king, I just have to look right in front of me."

"Okay, too soon," Carlos remarked.

Mal just bumps foreheads with Carlos - in a loving way - as she lets out a joyful laugh. She may not have found true love in this happy ending, but it's not an ending at all. It's a brand new beginning, for both Auradon and the Isle of the Lost. But maybe it's also a brand new beginning for her and for Carlos. Who knows? The future is here and there's plenty of time to explore.

"Aren't you two such bad kids?" Dude teased.

"Shut up, Dude," Carlos said, embarrassed.

"Hey, I'm not judging. Bad kids be bad kids, you know," said Dude.

"Yeah, I guess we do," Mal agreed.

"This is crazy, you know," said Carlos.

"I do, but I don't mind," said Mal. "Just enjoy the moment, Carlos. We'll have more time later."

"Sure," Carlos responded happily.

"Uh-oh, we got company," said Dude.

That "company" is Hades, who has also crossed the bridge to see his child. Mal quickly approaches her father, obviously feeling very happy that he could finally have a chance to be close to her. Carlos just stands back and lets the two have their moment. Also, it's Hades.

"My Queen," Hades said playfully, bowing to his daughter.

Mal rolls her eyes, but laughs it off anyway.

"It's great you showed," said Mal.

Mal gives her dad a hug. Carlos can't help but feel a little envious. Despite how his mother treat him, he secretly wishes that they can be what Mal and Hades are to each other.

"Oh, Dad, remember Carlos?" Mal asked, holding the puppy lover's hand.

"Cruella's son," Hades replied. "Moving on too fast, Mal?"

"Give it time," Mal answered.

"And I heard you gave him a harder time than anyone else on the Isle," said Hades.

"Those days are behind us," said Mal.

"And we couldn't be happier to be where we are now," said Carlos. "Welcome to Auradon, Mr. Hades."

"_Just_ Hades to you, Mr. Devil," said Hades.

"It's De Vil," Carlos corrected.

Hades just glares at Carlos for daring to correct him. Carlos just holds Mal's hand tighter just to feel safe. She laughs at his nervousness around her father. All that's left now is to introduce Hades to everyone.

* * *

After the party, everyone goes home while the VKs introduce their parents to the rest of Auradon. There are a couple of people who didn't leave the party scene, though. It's Mal and Carlos, holding hands as they look at the Isle of the Lost across the bridge. They stayed here after the celebration to have some alone time. They just wanted some peace and quiet together, alone.

"Can you believe this all started with some stupid girl talk?" Mal started. "Not stupid, obviously, but... I just can't believe it would affect us this much."

"I just wanted to help," said Carlos.

"To help me and Ben have a future together," Mal added. "And while I do have a future, it's not with him."

"Makes you feel like that girl talk didn't do its purpose, huh?" Carlos assumed.

"It did, halfway, at least," said Mal. "Maybe I couldn't have the future I wanted with Ben, but I learned not to give up when things get hard. I wanted to run, to go home, to forget about Auradon, to be the baddest of the bad again. But thanks to you, I stayed and gave myself another chance here. Sure, I don't get to be Queen of Auradon, but I like to think that I'm right where I want to be."

"As queen of the villains?" asked Carlos.

Mal giggles and says, "Yeah, pretty much."

"I guess there's something to be said about all this. It's you, Mal. You are the true bridge between Auradon and the Isle," said Carlos.

"Well, that's a nice sentiment," said Mal. "But that bridge was broken once and needed to be fixed. By someone."

"You didn't have to do it for me, you know," said Carlos.

"I know, but I wanted to do it for you," said Mal. "Because I lo..."

Carlos cuts off Mal that same way she cut him off last year, with a kiss. Unlike Carlos last year, Mal didn't freeze. She actually returns the kiss as she puts her arms around Carlos, pulling him closer. Despite having just gone through hard breakups this morning, this moment just feels so right... somehow.

After the kiss, Carlos says, "I love you, too."

"Yeah, I know," said Mal. Jokingly, she adds, "But maybe I need a sleeping spell to verify those words."

Mal and Carlos just laugh at the joke together. But Mal couldn't deny those words, sleeping spell or no sleeping spell. Neither could Carlos.

"All this time, the two of us, and it took a dumb little girl talk to bring everything into the light," Mal said thoughtfully.

"See, I said girl talk was dumb."

Mal and Carlos turn their heads to the direction of the voice who said those words. It was Jay, who just got smacked on the arm by Evie. The four of them agreed to meet after the party to visit the Isle, but Evie and Jay had to leave for a while to accompany the other VKs.

"Maybe we need another girl talk to straighten your head," said Evie.

"I think he just misses Lonnie," Mal teased.

"Hey, she chose to travel. I chose to help the Isle. We're both okay with this, okay?" Jay said. "So, Carlos, are we gonna be calling you King Carlos from now?"

"Yeah, very funny," Carlos replied, unamused. "Mal and I, we... we just need time to settle this."

"But now it's as clear as daylight how you two really feel about each other," said Evie. "I hope for nothing but for you two to be happy together."

"Supportive to the end, huh, E?" Mal questioned.

"Hey, we've been through so much together. We always need to have each other's backs, even in the most difficult of times or the oddest circumstances," said Evie.

"You think Carlos and I are odd? Have you seen Doug's hair?" Mal laughed.

The four VKs laugh together.

Mal wraps her arm around Carlos' arm as she lovingly leans on his shoulder. Carlos leans against her as well, just simply enjoying the moment. Evie couldn't resist smiling at them.

After a brief laugh, the four of them stand side by side as they look upon their old home across the bridge. The barrier is gone for good and all the villains and VKs are welcome to Auradon to start over. Not everyone has left yet, due to either bewilderment or suspicion, which gives Mal and her gang a chance to visit their parents.

"Isn't it funny that we abandoned them and now we're running back to them?" Mal started.

"They're out parents. Good or evil, they mean a lot to us," said Evie.

"I admit, I want what you and Hades have, Mal," said Carlos.

"I just hope my Dad doesn't go nuts or anything," said Jay.

"Do you think they ever miss us?" Evie wondered.

"I like to think they do," said Jay.

"'Cause we're rotten," said Mal.

"To the core," the Core Four finished together.

"Hey, last one over the bridge," Carlos challenged.

"Is a rotten apple!" All four VKs said excitedly.

And so, the race begins. Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos start running, racing each other to the other end of the bridge, just for the fun of it. No matter how much they've matured since they came to Auradon, in the end, they are still just kids.

**THE END**

**And so ends another Descendants story. I wish I could've done more, but I hope you've all enjoyed this.**

**Just to clarify the ending, Mal and Carlos had just broken up with their respective partners, so that's why they're not officially together in the end. But it's clear that at the end of this story, they have chosen each other. And all it took was that one little girl talk.**

**Again, I could've just kept this as a one-shot like I originally planned, but I'm more or less glad I expanded on it, even if just a little. Thank you to everyone who has followed and reviewed this story.**

**...**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**(dramatic speech warning; ignore, if you wish)**

**Oh, boy. Where to even begin? I've been writing Descendants stories ever since the first movie came out. It's how my FanFiction career started. I will say, I am super embarrassed at how I started. My 7-part Forever Wicked series wasn't my first attempt at a series. Even from the beginning, 4 years ago, I was already trying to tie my Descendants stories together into one convoluted narrative... one that I am NOT proud of (seriously, I'm not; I was just making it up as I go along). So, one would say "Forever Wicked" was not just a passion project (a _carefully planned_ passion project, to avoid personal embarrassment) but also a personal redemption journey. Whether or not I've improved as a writer, I am more proud of "Forever Wicked" than I am of my beginnings.**

**But I'm afraid my two recent stories - "A Special Night" and "Girl Talk" - will have to be a possible goodbye from me to the Descendants FanFiction archive. 2020 is around the corner, I am growing up fast, and I am afraid of how my undetermined future will affect my writing. While I've had more successful stories, I like to believe that I've hit my peak with my 7-part series, "Forever Wicked". Sure, I can keep writing and I will keep writing (I'm not retiring from FanFiction, but I do need either a much deserved break or to write smaller stories for other archives). But I think I'm done with Descendants. Yes, I know that I could've written a new series based on Descendants 3 and I have been thinking about it for a while, but I am honestly burnt out, both in energy and ideas. I hope you can understand.**

**Still, writing Descendants stories has honestly been my favorite part of my FanFiction career. I'll always look back to this and remember how fun it has been.**

**So long, everyone, and have a Happy New Year!**


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